I received a message from someone who got a lip piercing and was concerned about how it was healing:

Hi! 8 days ago I got my lip pierced professionally. I was pierced with the standard gauge at 16g stud. My cleaning regimen goes like this: Every morning after my first smoke and breakfast, I brush my teeth, do a 50/50 mouthwash with water and Listerine, and clean the outside with antibacterial soap. When I get out of the shower I do a sea-salt soak for 3-5 minutes depending on how it feels. These actions are per my piercer. After I eat or smoke I swish sea-salt water. I do the morning regimen before bed, skipping the last sea-salt soak. My problem resides on the inside of my lip where the back of the stud sits against my lip. I'm trying not to panic, but I am known to overcook things when I notice something weird going on on/in my body. What I SEE looks like a small mound of scar tissue; it's not very red and there is no leakage other than small amounts of lymph. I should tell you that this scar tissue (or whatever it might be) is aiding in the back of the stud leaving a mark where it sits. What I FEEL is a small lump under the skin just next to my piercing. If I show anyone what I am feeling, they would not see it as it is impossible to see under the scar tissue. It worries me because I don't want to take it out or get rid of it. It looks pretty and I love it. I wouldn't think it is because my long stud is too short because it sticks out a ways in front.

I received a message from someone who got a lip piercing and was concerned about experiencing numbness in the area:

(Photos below show a normal range of sizes and placements for a side lip placement with ring--with initial jewelry that allows for swelling.)

Hello,

I got a lower side lip piercing yesterday (captive bead ring) and it now feels like there is numbness around the piercing canal (the lip itself and skin around the piercing are not numb). There is a little redness around the outside opening and a little pain, though I haven't spotted any pus, and movement is in no way impaired.

My cleaning regimen is standard.

My question is: is numbness normal? If so, will it go away eventually? If not, what should I do?